Long-Term Care Perceptions & Preparation

When it comes to long-term care coverage, the middle-income market often falls through the cracks:

• These households make too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
• They do not have the resources in place (and usually a limited capacity) to cover costs they would incur if they needed any substantial amount of long-term care, including assistance with daily living tasks.

The goal of this project was to understand the degree to which the middle-income market is prepared or preparing for their own long-term care needs.

• One hypothesis suggests there is a lack of understanding about what is and is not covered by personal insurance and/or Medicaid.
• Fewer people assume they will need care than is likely to be the case, and most are not up-to-date on or prepared to cover the costs.

Some key findings include:

• 70% of respondents have no advance directive in place, and just one in ten have long-term care insurance.
• Most respondents have not spoken with a family member or loved one about wishes for LongTerm Care.
• Those with a spouse or partner are more likely to expect a need for long-term care services and supports, but are no more likely to have long-term care insurance in place.